Okay, so Erik Cole didn’t draw a plethora of prospects the way the Keith Tkachuk and Ryan Smyth deals did in recent years. But that’s fine, I’m pleased with Steve Tambellini’s moves in that for the price of a pending UFA and a low 5th round draft pick, he managed to get two guys who are ready to step into the lineup right away.
Ales Kotalik, a pending UFA RW is a rental, and he cost the Oilers a 2nd round pick that they acquired from Carolina. Patrick O’Sullivan was acquired as part of the Cole deal. All in all, the Oilers won this trade by a mile. Later Erik Cole; sayonarra Justin Williams.
The great thing about Kotalik is that he’s not only a skilled player, but he brings that grit element too, which is rare for a skilled European player. He may not be an Erik Cole type of player, but that may be to the benefit of Gagner and Nilsson/Penner as well.
Patrick O’Sullivan, presumably the Oilers’ new 1st line LW, was one of the highest touted prospects in the past decade. He was drafted in Minnesota and flipped to the Kings in exchange for one Pavol Demitra. He has a tendency to shoot the puck – A LOT. Trust me, he is in my hockey pool and he really racks up the shot totals. On a line where the tendency in the past has always been to pass first (see Horcoff, Hemsky), having a sniper with a shoot first mentality is something the Oilers haven’t had since Ryan Smyth, Anson Carter, and Bill Guerin left town. It will be interesting, to say the least. The best part – he’s sign for the next two years at an affordable rate.
Watch your kojones Nilsson, your job security is failing by the minute.
The Refinery 
As a Sabres fan, let me assure you, there is no grit to Ales Kotalik’s play.